TheCable

President-elect Bola Tinubu has described the train accident that took place in Lagos as a “tragic and unfortunate incident”.

In the early hours of Thursday, a train collided with a bus conveying staff of the Lagos government with six people confirmed dead.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the driver of the BRT bus was attempting to cross the rail track when the oncoming train ran into it.

In a statement by Tunde Rahman, Tinubu’s spokesperson, the president-elect said he is going to “continue to follow the emergency response effort closely and offer support where necessary”.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the victims and families affected by the gory incident involving a train and a bus in the Ikeja area of Lagos state earlier today,” he said.

“I am praying for all, including those who died and those who sustained injuries in the tragic and unfortunate incident.”

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also described the incident as unfortunate, while he condoled the families of the victims.

He, however, advised states to focus on the development of their transportation sector, adding that more attention should also be paid to their emergency services.

“The unfortunate crash of a train and a BRT bus in Lagos this morning is sad news not only to Lagosians but to all of us Nigerians, as is any mishap anywhere. My condolences to the families and friends of the victims and the good people and government of Lagos,” he said.

“The powers of states as federating units in Nigeria in the area of transportation must be reinforced with enabling laws and enhanced by the states themselves with knowledge and the requisite expertise in the same sector.

“Emergency and medical rescue services must also be enhanced to avoid casualties in accidents such as these. I urge the relevant authorities to swiftly investigate the cause of the accident and take appropriate measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”